1. Technical Field
This application relates generally to synthesizing and utilizing materials, and more particularly to extracting and using silica-based particles.
2. Description of Related Art
Diatoms are a major group of phytoplankton. Diatoms typically form a siliceous (silica-based) frustule. As such, a bioavailable siliceous nutrient source is necessary for growth of these diatoms. Reducing the cost or energy needed to provide nutrients such as bioavailable silica may improve the economics of diatom growth, which may improve the production of substances fabricated from diatoms.
Diatoms often synthesize frustules having characteristic shapes, sizes, and structures. Frustules may be used in a variety of chemical, catalytic, optical, structural, and other applications. Such applications may benefit from improvements in extraction of frustules.
FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a suspension. Suspension 100 comprises an aqueous liquid 110 (e.g., seawater) and suspended organisms such as diatoms 120. Diatoms 120 typically include siliceous frustules 130 and a substantially non-siliceous biomass 140, which may include lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, water, and/or other components (and may include some silica).
Extraction (e.g., of lipids, frustules, and the like) may be challenging with aqueous suspensions. The effectiveness of many separation processes may be reduced when a suspension includes a substantial amount of water. Removing water (e.g., by filtering a suspended phase or evaporating the water) may require substantial energy.